Worry
by TheDevilYouDon't
Summary: PoA. Hermione worries about Harry. Harry listens. Short one-shot. Enjoy. R & R.


**Here you go, guys. New story. Set during PoA when the students are forced to sleep in the Great Hall because Sirius snuck into der skool. :/ Hope you like it.**

This was not happening. Sirius Black was not in this castle on Halloween night trying to find him. He had not gone to the Gryffindor tower in search of him, he couldn't have. Harry had been down here having a good time hearing about Hogsmeade and eating the wonderful feast while a cold-blooded murderer had been stalking the tower in search of him.

Harry shivered and forced himself to stop thinking like that as he pulled a purple sleeping bag to the corner of the Great Hall after Hermione and Ron. What was going on? Would they have to stay here all night? All week? Would they have to be sent home? Harry didn't think he could stand going back to the Dursleys after only being away for such a short period of time spent at school.

Hermione was lying down, her arm bent beneath her head on Harry's left side. Ron was on his other. Ron turned, said goodnight and immediately tried to sleep. Not long after Harry had laid down himself, he heard Ron's gentle snores floating towards him. Harry turned, arm under his pillow and faced Hermione. She looked like she was on the verge of tears. Harry looked at her inquisitively.

"What's wrong?" he whispered once he was sure that none of the prefects were near.

"Harry? You don't think...I mean, if he had come into...later...." She was suddenly quiet, her eyes closed gently as she tried to string her words together. "If it had been another day at another time when we had been in bed...he could have gotten to you, Harry," she finished quietly.

Harry frowned. "He never would have gotten past the Fat Lady."

"What if he had? What if he waited until the Fat Lady was gone and then magicked the portrait hole open, Harry?" Her whispers became more fierce. "He's a very powerful Dark wizard, Harry. He knows how to do things that we could never dream of being able of."

She seemed panicked and rushed, and even Harry couldn't miss the glistening tears that had begun to fall down her cheek and onto the pillow. Harry reached over and grabbed her hand, lacing her fingers into his and wrapping his other hand around it.

"I know, Hermione. I know." It was the only condolence that he could offer, if one could even call it that.

"I just don't want you to get hurt, Harry. You've had enough of that for one lifetime. I just..." The tears were falling quickly now. She closed her eyes and held on tightly to his hand.

"Hey, hey, hey. It's fine. I'm okay now," he leaned over and wrapped one of his arms around her shaking shoulders and used the other hand to wipe her eyes. "If anything, I'll be safe for your's and Ron's sake. I don't want to hurt you like that. I wouldn't...take myself away from you purposefully, 'Mione. You must know that by now."

Hermione nodded, but the tears kept falling. She let her head fall on his shoulder, and the two of their sleeping bags seemed to mesh in the middle. Harry kissed her forehead as she cried in his arms, unsure of what else he could do to console her. Perhaps this had been building for three years. Maybe it was just now coming out.

"I know, Harry," she told him finally. "I know."

He held her as she fell asleep. He could only imagine how he looked to passing ghosts, prefects, and teachers. Perhaps Professor Snape was passing just now, smirking in an evil 'I-know-what-you're-up-to' way. But, he didn't care. He was scared and tired, and he couldn't even begin to imagine how Hermione was feeling. Why hadn't he ever noticed that she worried for him? It seemed so obvious now.

And that was how Ron had found them when they had woken up the next morning. Harry's arms around Hermione and Hermione curled up into Harry as though she was built perfectly for him. He wondered if they had fallen asleep like that, or whether they had just fallen into place like that as they slept.

**That's all. :D Please, review. Hope you enjoyed it.**


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